849. And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years, signifies who have been already for some time in conjunction with the Lord and in His kingdom. "Who lived with Christ," signifies who were in conjunction with the Lord, because these live. "Who reigned with Christ," signifies who were in His kingdom, of which presently; that by "a thousand years" is signified some time, may be seen above (n. 842). This is said of those who doing their life in the world worshiped the Lord, and lived according to His commandments in the Word, and after death were guarded lest they should be seduced by the dragonists, thus who had been already for some time conjoined with the Lord and consociated as to their interiors with the angels of heaven. That "to reign with the Lord" does not mean to reign with Him, but to be in His kingdom by conjunction with Him may be seen above (n. 284). For the Lord alone reigns, and everyone in heaven, who is in any function, performs his office in his society, as in the world, but under the auspices of the Lord; they act indeed as of themselves, but because they regard uses in the first place, they act from the Lord, from whom is all use.